Drytown and the Old Well Cafe

Drytown is a tiny town in the heart of the California Gold Rush countryside.  It's one of the first places I ever did plein air painting...and it is always fun to return there.  I'm not knowledgeable about Drytown's history, but I'm told that the name does not refer to any kind of 'prohibition'.  Quite the contrary.  In it's hayday, Drytown had 65 bars!  I have no idea where 65 bars could have fit into tiny Drytown....but apparently it was a bit larger than it is today.   The little white building is the Old Well Cafe.  I don't know its history either except it's been there forever, apparently.  Funky would describe it best, I think.

I painted in Drytown on Friday with artist friends Ruth Andre, Julie Trail and Howard Rees.  It was a nice day...a lull between welcome rain storms.   We painted all morning and then had lunch in the Old Well Cafe.   A good day. 

Drytown and the Old Well Cafe   Plein air oil on linen 9x12

My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art

The Foundry - Sutter Creek Plein Air

On a whim early this morning I called my artist friend Howard Rees to see if he was free for some plein air painting.  Fortunately he was!  And to add to my last minute luck, at an art event the evening before, Julie Trail had told Howard she would be painting at the Foundry in Sutter Creek.

We met there in the most incredible spring weather....I think it reached at least 80 degrees...it was calm and the skies were clear and blue.  Wow, what a day.  Amazing.

The Foundry is actually a collection of buildings.   It is no longer in operation, but I think the history dates back to the Gold Rush, when the Foundry built mining implements.    It's a great collection of wooden buildings.  Unfortunately, they are pretty neglected...and in a decade or two, I'm sure they'll be gone.  But in the meantime, what a wonderful plein air subject.

We had a great time painting and then repaired to Pizza Plus in Sutter Creek for some absolutely delicious pizza, and, of course, an ice cold 24 oz beer.   Things don't get a lot better than that.

The Old Foundry - Sutter Creek  Oil on linen panel  12"x16"

When I got home this afternoon, I took the painting into the studio for some final touches.  As often happens when I paint in bright light, the painting overall was a bit dark.   I lightened the side of the building, which .helped define the structure a little more clearly and also reduced a large dark area.  I also added a few suggestions of greenery above the roof line.  I had originally painted some very light -almost white - sky there to separate the roof from the burnt umber tone I had previously applied, but it was too intense and distracting.  Adding the green and gray tones calmed it down and allowed the building to come forward.  Finally, I added some interest and texture in the near surface of the road and around the painting in general.   All in all, the time in the studio was probably less than 20 minutes.

I'm pleased with the painting.  Again I tried to plan before I started by doing a small sketch of the composition and the lights and darks.  I wanted to resist painting and then correection, painting and correcting, painting and noodling.  I blocked in everything with Transparent Maroon and Ultramarine Deep.  After my first block in, I did not like the size and location of the building, so I wiped out most of it and blocked it in again.  That's a real advantage of blocking in with transparent color line and wash on a non-absorbent oil primed panel.  Once I had it as I wanted it, I began to add color and to define shapes with restated darks as much as possible.  There was a lot of jumble and junk around the area.   I felt it was critical to capture the feeling of that junk without getting caught up in rendering it.  It's interesting how much you can suggest without really painting anything specific at all.  Those intense darks in the foreground junk also made for some great contrast with the light areas in the foreground as well.   I love the effect of that relationship....it gives such life and energy.  This painting was a lot of fun. 

My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art

Ft. Bragg and Mendocino in October. Spectacular!

McKerricher State Park just north of Ft. Bragg

For the third time (fourth??) I joined many artist friends at a Howard Rees workshop in Ft. Bragg and Mendocino.  October is a magnificent time on the coast, and this trip was proof!  Cool mornings, warm afternoons, and just one windy afternoon (an understatement...a couple of easels went over.) to  remind us that plein air painting is not for the timid.

Here are a few of the wonderful scenes that greeted us each day....and a some of the artists and friends who were along on the trip.  Not pictured....Julie, Vickie, Judy, Barbara, David, Renee. 

Bob ..traveled from Dallas Texas!!!

Andy

Ruth

Howard, Bob, Ted, Norm

And here are some of the scenes I got to paint...

Mendocino  (This painting sold) 

Along the coast near Ft. Bragg

Mendocino

None of the pictures do the trip justice, but they do give a hint of the incredible scenery and beautiful weather we had.  I wish I had taken more pictures of the painters who came from Washington, Dallas, Berkeley, Vallejo, Rescue, Jackson, and other places I'm no doubt forgetting.  As you can see below, it was a great group!!

Dinner with friends in Ft. Bragg, CA October 2013. 

Another Summer Morning in Locke

The first Saturday of each month is a standing Sacramento Plein Air Painters gathering in Locke, California.  I don't always make it, but as anyone who reads my blog knows, Locke is one of my favorite places to paint around Sacramento.

I joined Martha Esch, a Locke shop owner, resident and facilitator of the Plein Air Painters Meetup site, along with several other painters for a gorgeous summer morning in Locke.  I've painted both of these buildings before, but this is the first time I've put both into the same scene.  I tried to keep things simple...going for the major shapes and resisting the temptation to paint every detail.  That can be a fatal error in Locke, where there is so much going on that it can be overwhelming.  I tried hard to remember to squint all the time, looking for the lights and darks and sticking with that.

This is a small 9 x 12 oil on a RayMar panel.

Locke 9.7.2013   Oil on canvas panel.  9" x 12"

Martha Esch snapped this picture.  I can truthfully say I never knew this was going on.  I think I need to step away from the easel once in a while.  My workshop instructors...Suchitra Bhosle, in particular...are always telling me that, but for a different reason.




My Art Site: Bruce Hancock Fine Art

Meeting Kathleen Dunphy

There are special moments along the way that I know will continue to bring a smile years from now.  Yesterday my FatBoy friend Steve Kobely (aka Sterling Saguarro) and I journeyed to Douglas Flat near Murphy's California to experience one.

In an earlier post I expressed my excitement over receiving a merit award at the Ironstone Winery "Spring Obsession" art show.  Of course it was a pleasure to have my painting, "Miner's Cabin" selected, but the special part of that was that the judge who selected it was Kathleen Dunphy, nationally known plein air artist. ( http://kathleendunphy.com/ )  Now THAT was exciting.

Although I got to thank Kathleen and shake her hand during the flurry of activity at the show reception, I didn't get a picture.   My FatBoy buddies, Steve and Mike Tompkins (aka Tall Fescue), badgered me into writing Kathleen to ask for a photo op, something I'd never do on my own.  Amazingly, Kathleen gratiously agreed and yesterday I met her in Douglas Flat near Murphys for the big event.  Kathleen was holding a workshop for 15 painters (all her workshops are sold out well in advance!) and at lunch break we took the photos.

She could not have been more gracious.  And as for myself...well, it was a special moment in my artist's journey.  Thanks Kathleen...once again.

Kathleen Dunphy

My Art Site

Plein Air at the Capitol

Today I joined with about a dozen other members of the Sacramento Plein Air Painters to paint in Capitol Park.   It was a cold clear and crisp day.  Standing in the shadows for a long time was not recommended!  But it was a good day to be outside. 

I did this study of the east(back) side of the Capitol building as seen from deep in the park.  I had hoped to capture the brilliance of the building against the darker foliage, while also having a feeling of atmosphere and depth.  I think I was only partially successful.  Now that I've had a chance to sit back and look at it, the size of the building is much too large. It looms over the middle ground trees, which was not the case.  This is a common problem for me.  I tend to make my subject too large on the canvas. Often it's just a matter of composition, but in this case, that tendency has worked against the feeling of distance.  If the size of the building was about 3/4 what it is now, I think the depth of the painting would have been much enhanced.  Yet another lesson to be learned...or in this case, re-learned.  

 I'd like to return to try it again another day.

It's on a Raymar panel,  12" x 9"

California Capitol  East Side   12" x 9" canvas panel. 

A Cold Morning in Locke!

This morning I joined the Sacramento Plein Air Painters Meetup Group for the regular "first Saturday of the month" paint out in Locke.  It's one of my favorite plein air locations.  Martha Esch led a small group of artists into the slough area behind Locke for a hiking and sketching trip while I stayed behind and painted the town!

In the early morning, the sun was out and, although it was chilly, it felt comfortable.  However, as the morning wore on, it got colder and colder...or so it seemed to me.  Standing virtually motionless at the easel for the better part of two hours was no doubt a large part of the challenge.  Fortunately, hot coffee was available just a walk down main street at Al the Wop's famous dive bar and restaurant.

This little plein air study is 12" x 9" on a raymar canvas panel.  I started out with a pencil sketch and even went so far as to establish my vanishing point and horizon line (thank you Terry Muira!)  And speaking of Terry, I shamelessly stole his technique as well -at least as well as I could - but then that's why I took the workshop, right Terry??  When I returned to the studio this afternoon, I added a few palette knife strokes to establish a few edges, suggest the direction of the building siding, and put in the powerlines.

Locke Cultural Center  Plein Air oil on 12" x 9" canvas panel

  Martha Esch returned with her group and snapped this photo as I was finishing up. 

Painting in Winters with Terry Muira

Once you've taken a few art workshops, you begin to learn that there are good artists who aren't very effective teachers and artists who are reasonably good teachers, but have a limited amount to teach.  Terry Muira is one of the exceptions to this general observation.  He is a very fine artist with so much to teach and with the the ability and personality to share it effectively.  I had the chance to learn that first hand this last weekend as I took my first workshop from Terry.  If you read Terry's blog Studio Notes ( http://terrymiura.blogspot.com/ ) you'll begin to understand, I think.  He is so generous with his time, information and lessons-learned on his blog, and that is reflected many times over in the workshop atmosphere.  Terry's book, En Plein Aire, is handed out free to all participants and it is a treasure trove of information for any plein air painter. It's just the first hint of the generosity and sharing to come during the rest of the workshop.

Terry Muira painting a demo in Winters, CA

We drove to the small town of Winters to paint urban scenes.  On Friday, we were there only for a half day and Terry did a demo.  It was very overcast and even slightly cold....a real change from our long hot summer.  The lack of light and dark shapes made the demo a bit more of a challenge, but Terry was up to it.





The next day was bright and sunny and I was chomping at the bit to paint.  I had been impressed with Terry's approach to the urban scene - in particular the care with which he approached each brushstroke - and I was anxious to get to it.  I painted two16 x 12 panels for the day.  At the moment, I have a picture of only the first.  The painting was my attempt to follow very carefully Terry's process for establishing shadow mass first followed by a careful and deliberate addition of color, shape and, of course, junk!  My success was spotty, but I had a blast! 

 

A Sunny Fall Day in Winters   16" x 12" oil on canvas panel

I'll be posting additional paintings from the workshop in the next day or so, along with additional comments on my experience and what I learned from Terry. 

Four Days in Murphys - Day Two

For our second day in Murphys, we were joined by two others who are often members of our group, but who were unable to come along for the entire trip.  We traveled a short distance to the Ironstone Winery to paint on their amazing grounds.  It's really hard to describe Ironstone.  If you are ever in Murphys, be sure to visit Ironstone, sample the wines and see the park-like grounds and exhibits.  Very well done and quite extensive.

Several of our group painted the lake and the beautiful wooded areas at Ironstone.  I'm always drawn to structures, so I painted a small miner's cabin located on the grounds.  Again I used a 12 x 16 canvas panel.  I went a bit overboard on the transparent oxide red, but it does make the painting glow even if it is a long way from the true gray of the old place.  At one point in this painting, I was struggling.  The background trees had gotten way too detailed and overworked.  In desperation, I got out my 1 1/2" flat brush recently purchased from Rosemary & Co and simply brushed the mess together in several big passes.  I then used the same brush to tap in some lighter values to represent closer sun-lit branches.  It worked.  Several people commented later on the trees.  Little did they know it was an act of desperation!  At the very end of the painting I used the big brush again to put in the road at the bottom after my friend Ruth Andre said the foreground lacked something.  I love that brush!

Old Miner's Cabin (Ironstone Winery, Murphys CA.)  12 x 16 oil on canvas panel. 

We didn't have a large group for this trip, but some old friends showed up to make up for it. Ruth Andre and Julie Trail came for just a part of the trip.  Ray and Gail journeyed from Carson City, Nevada.  Bob and Caroline Engle came from Thousand Oaks, CA, a long journey.  Bob and Caroline will be moving to Dallas - Ft. Worth in September, so this may have been the last chance I'll have to paint with this talented artist.  We'll miss your constant good humor and tireless enthusiasm for painting, Bob.  Good luck, good painting and happy trails to you and Caroline.  Stay in touch.  Also along were Vickie Chew, Sharon from Nevada, Andy and Cindy from Berkeley, and, of course, Howard and Janey Rees.  Good friends all. 

Ray (I've forgotten Ray's last name!  Will get it!)

Ruth Andre

Bob Engle

Vickie Chew

Julie Trail (Sorry for Lousy Photo, Julie!)

A Part of the Group...Bob E., Cindy N., Caroline E., Howard, Janey, Me

Photo by Andy N.